


Firelight

by Katherine



Category: Firefly
Genre: Campfires, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: Kaylee's lamp did them well until the Shepherd got a fire going.





	Firelight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inalasahl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inalasahl/gifts).



Kaylee had rigged up a functional if lopsided lamp outside Serenity, her way of following Mal's instructions to keep watch and keep visible. "Not threatening, like," he had clarified, before heading out with Jayne to finish the being-threatening part of securing the next job.

Her lamp did them well until the Shepherd got a fire going. He tucked himself to one side with his holy book to read by firelight. River edged nearer and despite the flickering looked to be reading over his shoulder.

Kaylee left the two of them to reading, pleased they were occupied while she ducked back inside Serenity. She wasn't sure how well her plan would work, but it would be better as a surprise than having to explain straight off.

First, a successful rummage in the kitchen supplies. That accomplished, she seated herself by the fire with a handful long skewers along with blobs of protein ready in a dish.

The Shepherd shook his head politely. (Spoiled by all the actually-grown food at the abbey he'd been at, likely, Kaylee thought enviously.) In moments, he was absorbed in his reading as before.

But as Kaylee hoped, River was interested in the small spread, watching with her sometimes-disconcerting focus as Kaylee put protein on a skewer. River reached for a skewer of her own and evaluated the protein. Kaylee herself hadn't taken nearly so long choosing which blob of protein, but she was well used to River having her own particular ways.

Without looking at her own hands, River deftly threaded a protein-blob onto a skewer. She had her head tipped towards the fire. Kaylee found herself also listening to the crackle of it, less rhythmic than the background sound Serenity's engines made when running smoothly.

The woodsmoke smelled good, real and comforting. Nothing like when an engine part started rubbing wrong and heated up more than it should. If this job went off well, she could replace two or three of the hardest-working engine parts on her list. That would stop things smoking til the next repair.

"Eventually everything ignites," River said with all appearance of philosophical cheer, watching as her first protein blob charred down to cinders. Kaylee angled her own skewer back from the fire protectively. But River was actually smiling as she started to eat her burnt protein, pinching off tiny pieces at a time.

It wouldn't be useful to ask River if she thought it tasted good; her answer could as well be theological or nonsensical-sounding as anything connected to what was in her hands. But unasked, she held a small piece out to Kaylee. Under the burnt-black outer layer, it was pleasantly gooey, in fact. Didn't taste like much, but the protein stuff never did; living ship-board Kaylee was used to that.

What taste the stuff had was better shared. Kaylee smiled as she decided on a taller tongue of flame to set her protein-blob inside. She would burn hers too, companionably, and share as readily with River in return.


End file.
